His words chase away the darkness. My vision clears to the sight of him hovering over me, trying his best to fan me.
Minutes later, after everything normalizes, embarrassment creeps in. Caleb’s hand is probably covered in my sweat, and I don’t even want to think about how I must’ve looked.
“Are you feeling better?” Caleb asks.
I swallow and search his eyes for any condescension. When I find none, I nod. “Yes... Thank you.” Entranced in his stare, I allow myself to gaze and lose myself.
At least until the king clears his throat.
“I am not sure what you mean by fighting for’ me. I have plenty of warriors for that.”
So what did he need me for?
“I could use you to help train this pack,” he explains.
“You what?” Caleb and I ask in unison.
I scramble to my feet and out of Caleb’s arms.
“Your Majesty, I-I don’t know if that’s a good idea... The pack hasn’t recovered since the last attack, and we don’t take to”—his eyes drift to me—“them—”
Ouch.
“Well. The rogues—”
“The rogues dominated Bloodhound. Which means your pack could learn a thing or two from them. And if they don’t wantsomething like the attack five months ago to happen again, I’d advise them to swallow their distaste.
Caleb can’t argue that kind of logic.
“That might’ve been easier to pass off if I hadn’t already told them she is a prisoner.”
Hm. I stand corrected.
“Take a page out of your father’s book. Tell them shewasa prisoner, and now she’s being rehabilitated. You’re integrating her into Bloodhound society.”
Into society? He wants to domesticate me?
“Do I get a say in this?”
“No,” they both say at the same time.
Worth a shot.
“Okay. Say I do this—”
“Well, there’s no ‘saying.’ You’re doing it.”
“If I let her out, she’ll just run.”
Caleb moves from my side to Dax and faces me again. They study me, standing in nearly the same stance, thinking to themselves.
“Yeah...” Dax sighs, touching a hand to his chin while his other is crossed over his chest. “I thought the caged look on her face seemed familiar.”
“Alaina?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“That’s who I was thinking,” Caleb says.
